Strip coiler



km. 27, 149. w. M. MCCONNELL ETAL 2,433,144

STRIP COILER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 11, 1945 INVENTORS William MMcConneZZ .Fzlnnfi.Abrarnsen 2:5. hw

STRIP COILER 5 Sheets-Shet 5 Filed Oct. 11, 1946 INVENTORS Wzllw/n M MC Conn ell, inn -B .Abrcunsn STRIP GOILER Filed Oct 11, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS William MMC Connell Jinn B.Abram.sen

$ewpt 2?, 1949. w. MCCONNELL ET AL 2,4833%4 STRIP'COILER Filed Oct. 11, 1945 5 Sheets$heet 5 INVENTORS WzlZZz'amM.McC0nneZZ finn .B. Abramsen Patented Sept. 27, 1949 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE STRIP COILER William M. McConnell, McKeesport, and Finn B.

Abramsen, Baldwi n Township,

Allegheny County, Pa., assignors to Mackintosh-Hemphill Company, Delaware Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Application October 11, 1945, Serial No. 621,805

- as it is wound, and which provides contracting movement adequately to free the inside diameter of a coil of strip wound on it.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrative of an embodiment of our invention:

Fig. I is a longitudinal sectional view, taken in the plane of the section line I-I of Fig. III.

Fig. II is a longitudinal sectional view, taken in the plane of section line 11-11 of Fig. III.

Fig. III is a cross-sectional view taken in the plane of the section line III-III of Fig. I, and together with Figs. I and II showing the coiler in expanded, strip-winding condition.

Fig. IV is a cross-sectional view, taken in the same plane of Fig. I as that in which Fig. III is taken but showing the coiler in contracted coil-releasing condition.

Fig. V is a longitudinal sectional view, taken along one radius of the coiler structure in the plane of the section line VV of Fig. IV.

Fig. VI is a front elevation of a radiall movable segment forming an element of the structural organization of the coiler.

Fig. VII is a central longitudinal sectional view of the segment shown in Fig. VI.

Fig. VIII is a front elevation of a longitudinally movable wedge nut forming an element of the structured organization of the coiler.

Fig. IX is a side elevation of the wedge nut shown in Fig. VIII.

In the accompanying drawings, reference numeral I designates a central shaft which functions both to rotate the coiler in winding the strip thereon and as means for producing expanding and collapsing action of the coiler segments. A longitudinally-movable nut 2 is threaded at 3 on rotatable shaft I and carries wedge shoes 4 and 5. At its lower end nut 2 has an interlocked sliding engagement 6 with a fixed segment I which does not participate in either longitudinal movement or expanding and collapsing action of the coiler elements, but which serves as an anchor for the movable elements of the coiler. Two swinging segments 5 Claims. (Cl. 242-72) 8 and 9 are hinged adjacent one of their ends to the fixed segment I, by plntles III which are carried by hubs ll of the segments 8 and 9 abutting hubs I2 on segment I.

Positive expanding and collapsing action of the coiler is effected by longitudinal movement of wedge nut 2 in cooperation with a radially movable segment I3. As shown, segment I3 has an interlocked sliding engagement at I4 with shoes 4 and 5 of longitudinally-movable nut 2,

and has forwardly inclined surfaces I5 and I6 cooperatively matching the forwardly inclined surfaces l1 and I8 of the shoes. There is an interconnection between radially movable segment I3 and the hinged swinging segments 8 and 9 by means comprising inclined ways. As shown, this connection is by means of pins I9 carried by segment I3 in hubs 20 provided with quill bearings 2|, which hubs lie between elongate inclined eyes 22 which are formed as extensions of webs 23 on hinged segments 8 and 9, and extend divergently outward at equal angles to the center line of the coiler which stands verticall in the drawings. These elongate inclined eyes 22 embrace the pins I 9 carried by radially movable segment I3. Eyes 22 and pins I9 thus are elements which provide connection between radially movable segment I3 and swinging segments 8 and 9 and which provide inclined ways for relative travel of the pins and. eyes during expanding and collapsing movement of the coiler segments. On its outer face, segment I3 is provided with inwardly divergent faces 24 which ride upon, and in expanded condition of the coiler match with, inwardly divergent faces 25 at the free ends of the segments 8 and 9.

Surrounding a forward unthreaded region 26 of shaft I, and bearing against fixed segment I and the movable segments of the coiler, there is a collar 21 held in place by washer 28 and by a nut 29 on a further reduced and threaded zone 38 of the shaft I. Longitudinal movement of nut 2 under rotation of shaft I is limited forwardly of the coiler by collar 21. Rearwardly of the coiler, the hub 3I of a brake drum 32 is freely mounted on shaft I. Segment I3 has a radial keyed connection 33 with brake drum 32, so that when the brake drum is held, segment I3 can move radially but cannot rotate with the shaft. Because of the interlocked relation of the structural elements of the coiler, the holding of brake drum 32 and segment I3 against rotation prevents the rotation of the coiler as a whole with rotation of shaft I.

Considering the coiler in its contracted condition with its movable segments collapsed as shown in Fig. IV of the drawings, a strip A which is to be coiled is inserted in a longitudinal slotlike gap 34 between adjacent edges of swinging segment I and fixed segment 1. Brake drum I2 is held against rotation, and shaft I is rotated counter-clockwise with respect to the showing of Figs. III and IV which are taken in a plane looking to the left in Figs. I, II and V. This rotation of shaft l causes longitudinally-movable wedge nut 2 to move forwardly, that is to the left in Fig. V, into the position shown in Fig. I. In this movement the inclined interlocking engagement of its shoes 4 and 5, cooperatively with the inclined surfaces of segment I3, carries that segment radially outward from the position shown in Fig. IV of the drawings to the position shown in Fig. III thereof.

In this radially outward movement, the inclined surfaces 24 of segment I3, sliding on the adjacent inclined surfaces at the ends of swinging segments 8 and 9, force thosesegments outwardly until arcuate terminal face of segment I3 forms part of the periphery of the coiler and the inclined faces 24 and 25 on segment l3 and swinging segments 8 and 9 respectively lie in matching contact to form a continuous coilsupporting structure. This action positively forces segments 8 and 9 to swing about their hinged connection with fixed segment I, to bring them into the position shown in Fig. III. In this action radial movement of segment l8 and swinging movement of segments 8 and 9 are positively related in manner to insure and control swinging of the ends of the hinged segments by the described connection, including the inclined eyes 22 in which the embraced pins I-9 ride. Thus as segment I3 moves radially outward, pins l9 which it carries moving outwardly with the segment, relate the broadest extent of segment I3 defined by its pins IS with the ultimate position of the swinging segments 8 and '9. Swinging of segments 8 and 9 causes the edge of strip A inserted into gap 34 between adjacent edgesof segment 9 and fixed segment 1 to be engaged by those edges, and for the sake of security desirably to be engaged by one or more spring-urged dogs 36 mounted in a cavity of the fixed segment. If so desired, provision for gripping the strip may be provided additionally or alternatively between swinging segment 8 and fixed segment 1.

It will be noted that in its expanded stripcoiling condition the periphery of the coiler provides what is in effect a perfectly circular, continuous surface for the coil. In the coiling operation, brake drum 32 is released and shaft I is rotated counter-clockwise with respect of Fig. III. This rotation of shaft I rotates the coiler as a whole to wind the strip, and in this rotation there is a continuing tendency to force wedge nut 2 forwardly, that is to the left in Fig. I, the more firmly to lock the coiler segments in their expanded relation. When the desired length of strip has been coiled, rotation is discontinued and brake drum 32 again is held. Brake drum 32 being held, shaft I is rotated clockwise with respect to Fig. 111. The segments being held against rotation by keyed engagement 33 of segment I3 with the brake drum, this rotation of shaft l moves nut 2 rearwardly, that is to the right in Fig. I, bringing its shoes 4 and 5 into the position shown in Fig. V of the drawings. In this movement the interlocked inclined engagement of shoes 4 and 5 on wedge nut 2 draws radially movable segment I! inwardly to the gap 34 between a side edge of segment I and the adlacentedge of the swinging segment, and releases the edge of the coiled strip A from engagement by dog 33.

Several advantages of thecoiler should be noted in connection with the structural embodiment herein illustrated and described. It has been mentioned above that in the expanded condition of the coiler its segments form a perfect circle, which is completed by the arcuate' outer surface 35 of segment II and its matching relation with the free ends of segments 3 and 9 to give an uninterrupted coiling surface in expanded condition of those elements. When the segments are collapsed it will be seen by reference to Fig. IV of the drawings that the segments move out of contact with the inner turn of the coil. indicated by broken line B, to a maximum adjacent the free ends of segments 8 and 9 and that the space between the outer surfaces of those segments and the inner turn of the coil decreases very gradually along the arcuate extent of the swinging segments so that approximately the entire surface of those segments is collapsed inwardly out of contact with the coil.

Having illustrated and described one physical embodiment of our invention it is to be understood that we do not strictly limit ourselves to the specific organization of the coiler as so illustrated and described, but that such illustration and description is susceptible to substantial modification while remaining within the statement of the claims appended hereto.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a coiler the combination of a rotatable shaft, a longitudinally-movable nut having a wedging surface threaded on said shaft, a fixed segment having interlocked sliding engagement with the said longitudinally-movable wedge nut,

two swinging segments having hinged connection with said fixed segment, a fourth segment having a wedging surface cooperative with the wedging surface of the said longitudinally-movable nut and radially movable between free terminals of the said hinged segments into and out of expanded position, and cooperative connecting elements carried by said hinged segments and said fourth segment including inclined ways positively relating radial inward and outward movement of the said fourth segment with inward and outward swinging movement of the said hinged segment.

2. In a coiler the combination of a rotatable shaft, a longitudinally-movable nut having a wedging surface threaded on said shaft, a fixed segment having interlocked sliding engagement with the said longitudinally-movable nut, two swinging segments having hinged connection with the said fixed segment, a fourth segment having a wedging surface cooperative with the wedging surface of the said longitudinally-movable nut and interlocking engagement therewith, the said fourth segment being radially movable between free terminals of the said hinged segments into and out of expanded position, and cooperative connecting elements carried by said hinged segments and said fourth segment comprising inclined embracing eyes and embraced pins positively relating radial inward and outward move-' ment of the said fourth segment with inward and outward swinging movement of the said hinged segments.

3. In a coiler the combination of a. rotatable shaft, a longitudinally-movable nut having a wedging surface threaded on said shaft, a fixed segment having interlocked sliding engagement with the said longitudinally-movable wedge nut,

two swinging segments having hinged connection with said fixed segment, a fourth segment having a wedging surface cooperative with the wedging surface of the said longitudinally-movable nut and interlocked engagement therewith, the said fourth segment being radially movable between free terminals of the said hinged segments into and out of expanded position, cooperative connecting elements carried by said hinged segments and said fourth segment including inclined ways positively relating radial inward and outward movement of the said fourth segment with inward and outward swinging movement of the said hinged segments, and means for holding said segment against rotation with said shaft to cause radial movement thereof by longitudinal movement of said wedge nut when the shaft is rotated.

4. In a coiler the combination of a rotatable shaft, a longitudinally-movable nut having a wedging surface threaded on said shaft, a fixed segment having interlocked sliding engagement with the said longitudinally-movable wedge nut, two swinging segments having hinged connection with the said fixed segment, a fourth segment having a wedging surface cooperative with the wedging surface of the said longitudinally-movable nut and interlocking engagement therewith, the said fourth segment being radially movable between free terminals of the said hinged segments into and out of expanded;position, cooperative connecting elements carried by said hinged segments and said fourth segment comprising inclined embracing eyes and embraced pins positively relating radial inward and outward movement of the said fourth segment with inward and outward swinging movement of the said hinged segments, and means for holding said segment against rotation with said shaft to cause radial movement thereof by longitudinal movement of said wedge nut when-the shaft is rotated.

5. In a coiler the combination of a rotatable driving shaft, a longitudinally-movable nut having a wedging surface threaded on said shaft, a segment having interlocked wedging engagement with said wedge nut for radial outward and inward movement with respect to said shaft, means for holding said segment against rotation with said shaft to cause radial movement thereof by longitudinal movement of said wedge nut when said shaft is rotated, a fixed segment, and additional segments arranged to be brought by rotation of said shaft into relation with the said first segment in its radially outward position to form with said first segment and said fixed segment a matching structure presenting outwardly an uninterrupted substantially circular coil-supporting surface.

' WILLIAM M. MCCONNELL.

FINN B. ABRAMSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

